Disney Changing Disabled-Patron Policy at Theme Parks Because of Awful People

If you're the parent of a disabled child, you and your kid may have to wait in line for three hours at Disney World just like everyone else, all thanks to terrible people who paid huge sums of money to get their disability-free brats to the head of the line.

For years, Disney has let disabled riders (and their parents) jump to the front of the notoriously long lines at their theme parks, but in May The New York Post reported on a scheme certain wealthy guests were using to game this system. They would pay disabled people large sums to escort them and their children around the park, allowing their whole group to skip to the front of the line at any ride.

“My daughter waited one minute to get on ‘It’s a Small World.’ The other kids had to wait two-and-a-half hours,” said one anonymous mother (who should be ashamed of herself). “You can’t go to Disney without a tour concierge. ... This is how the 1 percent does Disney.”

Disney announced that it will be changing its disabled-patron policy starting October 9. According to the A.P., "Visitors will be issued tickets with a return time and a shorter wait similar to the FastPass system that's offered to everyone." (The FastPass system allows guests to avoid long lines on certain rides.) Disney resort spokesperson Suzi Brown described the new policy as similar to making a reservation at a restaurant and then arriving at a certain time.

Park officials consulted certain disability groups before making the announcement. “Disney reached out to us,” said Autism Speaks spokesperson Michael Rosen. “A large segment of our population with autism has sensory issues, so having patience to wait on noisy lines is a really hard thing. ... We worked with [Disney] so they would make it as comfortable an experience as possible for our community." Rosen urged parents with disabled children to exercise patience and see how the new rules unfold.